FSU Seminoles

Each season brings with it new expectations, and a handful of Seminoles will bear the brunt of the pressure to perform in 2013. We're counting down the top 10 Florida State players being counted on the most to help the Seminoles live up to expectations.

No. 9: TE Nick O'Leary

2012 performance: Those expecting a marked improvement from O'Leary's freshman season in which he caught 12 pass were disappointed as the talented sophomore managed just 21 catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns. It's not that those totals were awful -- O'Leary, in fact, enjoyed one of the most productive seasons by an FSU tight end in a while -- but they certainly didn't match rather lofty expectations. O'Leary also seemed to disappear for long stretches.

Pressure point: O'Leary arrived amid much hype, and for good reason. He's got the size to be a solid blocker, but his athleticism and pass-catching ability should make him a major mismatch against linebackers and defensive ends. Through two seasons, however, FSU hasn't enjoyed many fruits of those mismatches. The pressure to find more success as a junior will be ratcheted up even further in 2013. With fullback Lonnie Pryor gone, Jimbo Fisher has said he plans to use O'Leary at halfback and will scheme numerous sets with two tight ends. That's a potentially successful wrinkle to the FSU offense -- but only if O'Leary blossoms into the star he's been projected to become.

If he succeeds: Several potential stumbling blocks for FSU's offense could be instantly solved if O'Leary puts together an all-conference-caliber season. If O'Leary's blocking improves, he could help ease the loss of Menelik Watson on the right side. If he becomes a more consistent threat in the passing game, he could provide a valuable safety valve for a young quarterback. If he can avoid making dumb mistakes -- such as fumbling while trying to hurdle defenders -- he could supply the same type of consistency that made Pryor such a valuable part of FSU's offense. Those are all big ifs at the moment.

If he fails: Fisher raved about the progress of senior Kevin Haplea this spring, and the Penn State transfer at least provides FSU with a solid Plan B at tight end. Haplea will never be the receiving threat O'Leary already is, but after a year in the program, he's at least consistent as a blocker and can do enough in the passing game to be an asset. Still, Haplea is the safe option. O'Leary is the potentially explosive one. If O'Leary fails to develop, FSU misses out on a major weapon who could be even more valuable with a young quarterback running the show. More importantly, struggles from any of FSU's tight ends ties Fisher's hands in terms of scheme.

Projection: The first step in meeting expectations for O'Leary would be to simply stop making so many ugly plays. It's one thing to disappear in the offense (something O'Leary has done at times) but it's another to turn a potentially big play into a disastrous one (something O'Leary has become known for among frustrated fans). New tight ends coach Tim Brewster knows he has a potential gold mine in O'Leary, though, and those struggles in 2012 might have served to light a fire under a player who was No. 20 in the ESPN 150 in the 2011 class. O'Leary will be given plenty of chances to shine, and a solid step forward -- 30 catches, more looks in the red zone -- would be a welcome addition. Anything more, and FSU's offense could become a lot more dynamic than many are projecting.

When summer workouts began a year ago, players like Menelik Watson, Demonte McAllister and Nick Waisome were flying under the radar with little in the way of expectations. By season's end, however, they were among Florida State's most productive players.

It happens every year that a few relatively obscure names find their way into bigger roles, and as the Seminoles get set to start another summer NoleNation is counting down five under-the-radar players who could be in line for breakthrough seasons.

Next up: Kevin Haplea (Sr./TE)

Career arc: Florida State ended up No. 2 among Haplea's college choices coming out of high school, and the 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end landed instead at Penn State. After the NCAA sanctions that rocked the Penn State program, however, the doors were opened for players to transfer, and Haplea decided to give FSU another look.

Why he's overlooked: Haplea arrived in Tallahassee just days before the start of fall camp last season, and what followed was a whirlwind. An injury to Dan Hicks opened the door for Haplea to get on the field routinely, but he was never an integral part of the offense. Haplea's blocking was solid, but he caught just three passes for 15 yards.

Why he'll produce: For the past four years, Lonnie Pryor has been a fixture of FSU's offensive game plan at fullback, but his departure after the 2012 season likely opens the door to some different looks, and Jimbo Fisher said he's planning on employing more two tight end sets this season. That's good news for Haplea, who might already be FSU's best blocking tight end. But while the grunt work was always a solid niche for Haplea, he showed some athleticism during the spring, becoming a regular target in passing situations, too.

Projection: After a full year in the program, Haplea has clearly made some major strides, and Fisher raved about his spring performance. While Nick O'Leary and Christo Kourtzidis battled injuries, Haplea kept producing. It's unlikely he'll ever be the offensive weapon that O'Leary could be, but Haplea's consistency at the little things should earn him a hefty slice of playing time in 2013.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- With the departure of stalwart fullback Lonnie Pryor, Florida State's offense might rely a bit more on the tight ends in 2013, and that could be a boon for Kevin Haplea.

The senior, who transferred from Penn State just days before the start of fall camp last season, has impressed new tight ends coach Tim Brewster with his ability to do all the little things necessary at the line of scrimmage.

"Haplea has a little thump to him," Brewster said. "He's the type of guy that I think can become a post player, and we're looking for a post player -- a guy that can dominate on the line of scrimmage. Because one thing we're going to do is, we're going to run the football."

While Chad Abram looks to have the fullback spot locked up, he may not offer the same versatility that Pryor brought to the FSU offense a year ago, and Jimbo Fisher has hinted that he could look to use starting tight end Nick O'Leary as a halfback and potentially run a lot more two- and three-tight end sets.

That could mean a good bit more work for Haplea, who is finding his footing in Year 2 with the program. Fisher said Haplea has caught more passes during the past few days of practice than he did all of last season.

O'Leary is still the starter at the position, and he's outpaces his competition in terms of potential by a strong margin. But while Haplea has excelled at the fundamentals, O'Leary is still working on the nuance of his position and hoping to overcome some ugly mistakes he made in 2012.

"He's a guy that's got tremendous talent, but he needs to understand that the details of the game are very important," Brewster said. "The fundamental aspects of tight end play, all the little things are important. It's not about the big picture, it's about seeing the little picture, the little things involved in every play."

Fisher said O'Leary continues to mature, and he hopes to see the junior tight end blossom into a dominant force this season. There have been some encouraging signs this spring, but O'Leary remains a work in progress.

"If he gets those little things, he's really tough to handle," Fisher said. "The details are more refined, and that's the challenge for him right now."

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. A year ago, there wasn't a lot of mystery looming over spring practice at Florida State. Signing day brought another crop of highly regarded talent, and spring practice storylines included more injuries than marquee position battles.

That won't be the case this year as a rash of departures from both assistant coaches and underclassmen mean the signing class is still in flux and the depth chart has plenty of spots up for grabs.

So, as the Seminoles' spring kicks into high gear, here are the five departures that have left the biggest voids that will need to be filled over the next few months.

1. Quarterback

Going: EJ Manuel ended a five-year tenure in Tallahassee with a mixed reputation among the fans. Among NFL scouts, however, things seem a bit more uniform. Manuel starred at last week's Senior Bowl, and with NFL teams increasingly interested in versatile quarterbacks capable of running the read option, Manuel's pro prospects look brighter.

Coming: FSU has a deep reserve of QB talent in Clint Trickett, Jacob Coker and Jameis Winston. The question is which one of them can take over the job on a full-time basis. Trickett enters spring practice atop the depth chart, but Coker and Winston have too much talent to cede the job without a fight.

2. Right tackle

Going: Menelik Watson's time at Florida State amounted to only about eight months, but he made his presence felt. The junior college transfer anchored FSU's offensive line in 2012, and since announcing his intentions to enter the NFL draft -- something of a surprise to FSU coaches -- his profile has steadily increased. Several recent mock drafts have Watson as a first-round selection.

Coming: The obvious answer at right tackle would be Bobby Hart, who started eight games there as a freshman before being relegated to a reserve role last season. Hart's maturity, attitude and relationship with line coach Rick Trickett have all been called into question at times, however, making him anything but a safe bet to win the job. Further complicating matters, FSU lost one of its top recruits in Austin Golson, leaving just two commitments in what was supposed to be a big offensive line class.

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In the months before spring football begins, there will no doubt be plenty of talk about all the talent Florida State lost -- from senior leaders like Lonnie Pryor and Everett Dawkins to talented juniors like Xavier Rhodes and Bjoern Werner.

Those discussions will inevitably be countered by enthusiasm about the future, too. Freshman Ronald Darby had an exceptional year in 2012 and is poised to blossom into a star. Defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. got a crack at the starting role in the final two games of the season and delivered strong performances. Karlos Williams' star has been on the rise for two full seasons now, and he appears ready for a breakthrough. And, of course, the questions of who will take over at quarterback will be ubiquitous.

But as the sun sets on 2012 and the preparations for 2013 begin, here are five more players who didn't exactly earn raves last season but could prove to be significant contributors for Florida State in the season to come.

Kelvin Benjamin (So./WR)

Background: It's somewhat odd that, after more than a year of continuous hype, Benjamin appears to be flying a bit below the radar now. Chalk it up to a rather disappointing finish to 2012. After racking up 25 touches for 476 yards and four TDs in his first nine games, Benjamin mustered just seven catches for 52 yards and no scores over the final five.

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With 2012 winding to a close, we're counting down the five biggest moments of the past season for Florida State. Today, we look at No. 2: EJ Manuel's fumble against Florida.
In the aftermath, EJ Manuel looked dazed, his voice barely above a whisper. The hit by Florida freshman Antonio Morrison left his head ringing and sidelined him for a drive, but that was only the beginning of Manuel's woes.

Manuel's final home game in his five-year career at Florida State also might have been his worst. It was a dismal performance that included four turnovers by the senior quarterback, including three interceptions that doomed his offense and a fumble caused by that punishing blow by Morrison that set up yet another score by the Gators that effectively ended Florida State's hopes at a comeback.

The prelude to Manuel's fumble was ugly, but the blame was shared. Florida State's offense could muster nothing, and the myriad turnovers kept the defense on the field beyond the point of exhaustion. Only a late field goal put FSU on the scoreboard before the half, and Florida went to the locker room with a 13-3 lead.

In the third quarter, however, everything changed. The lights flipped on, the Gators shot themselves in the foot repeatedly, and Florida State's defense dominated. A touchdown throw to Nick O'Leary closed the gap, a 1-yard run by Manuel gave FSU the lead and a Dustin Hopkins' field goal added some insurance. The tide had turned, but not for long.

Florida State's first drive of the fourth quarter was a crucial one. Florida had just booted a field goal to pull within four and regain a measure of momentum, but the Seminoles were ready to answer.

On first down near midfield, Manuel was quickly pressured. He took off toward the line of scrimmage, hoping to make a play with his feet. Instead, he met a duo of Florida defenders and refused to go down quietly. That left Manuel prone as Morrison delivered the hit -- with the quarterback tumbling to the ground and the football bouncing away.

Florida recovered, and as Manuel underwent a battery of tests on the sideline to determine if he'd suffered a concussion, it took just one play for the Gators to cash in.

Mike Gillislee rushed for a 37-yard touchdown to regain the lead 23-20, and Manuel still was woozy when Florida State got the ball back. Clint Trickett entered, but he was cold and so was the offense. A handoff went nowhere, and Trickett was pressured heavily on the next two plays. FSU went three-and-out, and Florida scored again on the ensuing drive. A 4-point lead turned into a 10-point deficit in the matter of just five minutes, and it all started with Manuel's ill-advised scramble and a game-changing fumble.

"It was not one of his better performances," Jimbo Fisher said afterward in an obvious understatement.

Manuel offered little other than some vague descriptions of a hit to the head -- no flag was thrown on the play -- and regret over the outcome.

He did return from the injury on the next drive, but by that time it was too late. The defense was gassed, and Florida added another TD. Manuel's final touchdown run as time expired did nothing to alter the outcome, erase the pain or make up for the fact that FSU had lost a winnable game to the best opponent it faced all season.

Still, no players wanted to blame Manuel when it was over.

"He's a warrior," Kenny Shaw said. "Nobody would even think about coming back after the shot he took. He gave it his all. I can do nothing but respect him for that."

Florida State cruised past another ACC foe, closing out the division title and picking up its 10th win of the season -- the second time in three years that Jimbo Fisher's squad has won 10 games and made an ACC championship appearance.

While the game wasn't particularly close, there were some numbers that stood out. Here are five that told the story of FSU's 41-14 win over the Terrapins.

237. That's the rushing total for Florida State's ground game on Saturday, a vast improvement from the struggles against Virginia Tech a week earlier. Devonta Freeman led the way, averaging 9.3 yards per carry en route to a career-high 148 yards and two scores. The 237 yards represents a season high for FSU on the road -- its four previous road games had been its four worst rushing performances -- and no designed runs were stuffed in the backfield.

16. That's the number of sacks Florida State has allowed on the road this season, after EJ Manuel was dumped in the backfield three times by Maryland. That represents 76 percent of the Seminoles' season total. Fisher chalked up the struggles on the road to playing better defenses away from home, but FSU will get its chance to test that theory against Florida's stellar defense at Doak Campbell Stadium this week.

7. That's the number of passing plays of 25 yards or longer Florida State has allowed in the past two weeks. In the first nine games of the season, the Seminoles allowed just eight plays of 25 yards. While the big plays have been more common the past two weeks, opponents haven't found much overall success in the passing game. Virginia Tech and Maryland completed just 53 percent of their passes against FSU.

3. That’s the number of receptions for tight end Nick O'Leary on Saturday, including 10-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter. The three catches matches O'Leary's total from the past five games combined. After starting the season with 10 catches in his first four games, O'Leary had largely disappeared from the offense, but Saturday he was a focal point early. For the season, O'Leary has 13 catches for 206 yards -- topping his season total of 164 yards from 2011.

26. That’s the number of tackles for loss this year by Bjoern Werner and Cornellius Carradine, who were both dominant against the Terrapins. Werner and Carradine combined for nine tackles, three sacks, 3.5 TFLs, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. The 20 combined sacks Carradine and Werner share this season is the most by any pair of teammates in the country.

 

MIAMI -- They were warned. All week they were warned.

Forget about what you think you know about Miami, the coaches said. Forget about what you think you see on tape when you watch Miami. Forget it all. Because come Saturday night, you will see the real Miami.

So yes, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff tried as hard as they could to make their players truly understand they were going to get a feisty team, a physical team, a team dead-set on pulling the upset and knocking the Seminoles right out of the ACC championship race.

They got that Miami right out of the gate, and, well, it sent Florida State reeling. The No. 14 Seminoles looked sluggish, and started to make untimely mistakes. Nick O'Leary made like an Olympic hurdler and fumbled on the Seminoles' first possession. Miami capitalized and scored its first touchdown. The fumbles were contagious, and soon Florida State was losing the football, losing its grip and facing a 10-0 deficit.

Then the next bit of adversity hit: Florida State saw star running back Chris Thompson go down.

Then more: a mountain of yellow flags piled up, some of them highly questionable -- certainly enough for young men to lose their composure.

Florida State could have easily crumbled, the way we have seen in the past. But this was a test this team needed, a test the Seminoles had to face head-on, with eyes unblinking. This was their first bit of adversity since the fourth quarter against NC State, and everybody on this team needed to see how their teammates would respond.

"When we got back in the locker room at halftime, we said, 'Look, another 30 minutes. We’re not letting up. Let’s play like it’s 0-0. Let’s play like it’s the national championship," safety Xavier Rhodes said. "We learned our lesson from that loss. It paid off this game here."

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